Begin Again
by KillianJones
Summary: Going on a Coffee Date with Killian went better than she expected. Based on Begin Again by Taylor Swift.


**I was listening to Begin Again and saw Emma going on a date with Killian for the first time.**  
 **So here's some Captain Swan fluff for you guys.**

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon, she stood in front of her tall mirror, once again overthinking her outfit for the date her best friend Ruby had set her up with.

Her outfit consisted of a white blouse, loosely tucked in her black skirt that reached mid-thigh. Black tights, as well as black heels. A simple silver bracelet on one wrist, her watch on the other.

She wondered about her outfit choice, nothing too fancy, but cute. Exactly right for a coffee date. She hoped.

She wondered if her date would comment on her choice of shoes, like her ex, Neal, had always done. He hated it when she wore them, because it made her as tall as him. But exactly for that reason, she loved wearing them; because they made her tall. They made her feel confident. (And wearing them accentuated her damn fine legs, if she dared say so herself. Which she did.)

Emma took a deep breath, turning around, her hair swaying in loose curls over her back.

It would have to do.

She glanced at the clock, 3:21; the date was set for 4PM. It was at most a fifteen minute walk, and odds were, her date would be late anyway. Emma kind of expected it for some reason.

She took her red leather jacket from the hanger and wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck, pulling her beanie over her ears, ready to brave the cold winter afternoon.

Taking her headphones before walking out of the door, turning on that one song that always calmed her down - on a perhaps slightly too loud volume - and locking the door behind her.

Neal didn't get why it calmed her down; the beat was too fast to soothe his own nerves. But he didn't consider that it could be the lyrics that eased her nerves.

Emma pushed open the tall glass door of the small cafe on the corner of the street. She didn't look around for a familiar face, as she expected him to be late anyway, but a man waving at her from the back of the room caught her attention.

Emma smiled, realising the man waving at her matched Ruby's description of him; 'blue eyes to drown in, dark sex-hair, tall as fuck, gorgeous accent, generally goddamn handsome'.

She liked to think her friend had overreacted a bit, but 'goddamn handsome' came quite close indeed.

Emma walked over to him, watching him rise from his chair and extend his hand.

"Emma?" His deep voice sounded just a bit shy or nervous.

"That would be me," she nodded, shaking his warm hand. Like a perfect gentleman, he pulled back her chair. The gesture was completely unexpected, but so nice - even though for him, it seemed like the most natural thing to do. "You didn't have to wait too long I hope?"

"Not at all," Killian smiled, signalling for a waiter. They ordered two coffees, a chocolate muffin for him and a vanilla one for her. He insisted on paying but didn't argue when she told him the next round would be on her - yes, she already expected to be seated with him for quite a while.

Killian turned out to be as good as perfect, he spoke highly of his family. After a bad break up, he kind of fled from Ireland to the United States. His brother Liam and wife Elsa followed him soon after, being unable to live so far apart.

His brother's two children meant the world to him, and he'd love to have children of his own. Killian chuckled and apologised at that statement, hoping it wasn't too soon and that he hadn't scared her off yet. To her own surprise, Emma had remained in her seat, to caught up in his story, in him, to remember to flee.

"So, you're practically perfect right?" Emma grinned as he spoke about his work in a company that built and distributed ships. "What's the catch? No wait - let me guess; you're an axe murderer?" He surprised her when he threw his head back laughing, almost childlike.

"Close, I prefer chainsaws," he laughed. Emma snorted on her coffee. The hot liquid nearly spilling over her lips. Neal would have scoffed, been offended at her humour, but Killian joked along and it almost felt like a relief. "I suppose I was just too busy getting my life back on the rails, making sure I got a decent place to live and an income before picking up dating again. As well as getting my heart broken," he added. "I think that definitely kept me from dating, I just wasn't ready yet."

"But you are now?" Emma asked softly. She caught herself trying to protect her own heart once again, wanting to give him the option of backing out before it was too late, yet hoping he would say yes.  
Killian smiled and nodded, "yes, I am."

It was an odd sensation, feeling so comfortable with this, practically, stranger. He made her feel good, his interest in her wasn't faked, he didn't just want to get into her pants. (He laughed about her stupid jokes.)

After protecting her heart for eight months, feeling love brought only destruction, wasted years and broken hearts, she found herself having hope, thinking that a couple more dates with him could definitely turn out into something beautiful.

They talked for much longer after that, going through their second coffee (as well as a second muffin) and then a third coffee (but no third muffin).

They had shared the same taste in movies, series, and music. She confessed to having an embarrassing amount of old records at home, and he laughed, telling her the exact same thing. Marvelling over the fact that he'd never met a girl who understood his interest in the old records; but she did.

He told more stories, of his cousins - the games they placed together when they stayed the night, or the movies they watched.

Emma caught herself wanting that for her own, a family to watch movies with, play games with. But when the feeling overcame her, she didn't feel like crying like she often did. It made her hopeful.  
Suddenly he trailed off, "Everything all right? Did I -"

"No," Emma interrupted him with a smile, "You didn't do a thing. It's me; I have caught myself wanting something I haven't had in a while," she shrugged somewhat happily, tracing her fingers over the rim of her empty mug almost dreamily. "Could you keep talking?" She asked shyly.

"Of course," Killian smirked, happy to oblige.

Around seven thirty Emma felt her stomach rumble, and only then she realised how much time had passed by, how late it had gotten already.

Both slightly reluctant to end the date there, they did so anyway.

"Where are you parked?" Killian asked, stuffing his hands deep in his pockets once they walked outside. It had grown even colder, as well as darker, but the promised snow hadn't fallen yet.

"Oh, I walked," Emma answered, taking her gloves from her purse.

"Right, I'm parked somewhere over there," he pointed in a general direction on their left.

"All right," Emma smiled, hooking her arm around his. They walked around the block, to his car. She enjoyed the cosiness that the Christmas lights on the streets brought, another thing Neal couldn't find the charm of. She was about to mention it when Killian pointed at a shop window with his free arm. An enormous amount of Frozen merchandise was on display.

"My cousins love that movie," he chuckled. "It has been added to our Christmas movie list."

"You have a Christmas movie list?" Emma grinned.

"Yes," he said firmly, even if his eyes betrayed he was close to laughing as well. "It's a family tradition. We get together on Christmas Eve, watch a shameful amount of movies until the evening, then everyone is allowed to open one present, we have dinner, watch a couple more movies. And we repeat the entire thing on Christmas Day, but we start with the presents of course."

"Of course," Emma agreed with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you were about to say something before I started talking about my family again?"

"I don't mind," she assured him. "But it's nothing," Emma smiled and shook her head. The talk about his family definitely beat whatever she had to say about Neal.

And for the first time in a long while, she realised that there was a reason the past is called the past.

"All right," Killian smiled, "Well, here we are..." He pointed at a black car. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"No thank you, I guess I just wanted to make sure you found your car," Emma snickered, letting go of his arm and immediately missing the warmth he offered.

"Found it," Killian scratched behind his ear almost nervously. "May I see you again, Emma?"

"I'd like that," Emma bit her lip softly. "Give me your phone?" Killian reached in the pocket of his jeans, handing her the device.

"Just text me okay?" She said while entering her number. "And you don't have to wait three days." Killian chuckled while she handed him back his phone.

"I'll see you later then?"

Emma smiled, leaning her hand onto his chest to press a soft kiss against his cheek. "See you later," she agreed and turned around.

When she peeked back once more she saw him get into his car with a dorky smile on his face, shaking his head to himself. Strange that without words, she knew exactly how he felt.

She knew because she felt the same way.

Cursing at Ruby for setting her up on a blind date in the beginning of the day had turned into a giddy feeling and a stomach filled with butterflies at the end of the day.

Because on that one Wednesday in that cafe she watched it begin again.


End file.
